William stephenson



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. STEPHENSON. SEED DRILL DISK SHOE. No. 588,027. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. STEPHENSON. SEED DRILL DISK SHOE.

No. 588,027. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM STEPHENSON, OF MORRIS, CANADA.

SEED-DRILL DISK-SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,027, dated August10, 7-

Application filed August 17,1896. Serial No. 603,022. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM STEPHENSON, a citizen of the Dominion ofCanada, residing at Morris, in the Province of Manitoba, Dominion ofCanada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seed-D rillDisk- Shoes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of thesame.

The objects of the invention are to provide a simpler, a more efficientmechanism, having reference to certainty of operation in all conditionsof soil, and, further, to improve the several combinations of partsconcerned in performing the functions of grain-drills.

To the accomplishment of these objects my invention consists in theparts and several combinations of parts hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side view of agrain-drill shoe embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a side view of the grain-spout detached. Fig. 4 is a topview. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the axle caps and fastenings. Fig.(3 is a vertical sectional view of one end of the axle. Fig. 7 is an endview. Fig. 8 is an inside view of one of the caps which fits over theend of the axle, showing a round central projection. Fig. 9 is avertical section of the same. Fig. 10 is another inside view of the cap,showing a square bur on the center. Fig. 11 is an end view of the disksenlarged or nearly full size.

[he g'raz'wspout.-The grain-spout is cast in the shape shown at A. Fig.1 embraces a grain-chute, a draw-bar lug b, an oihchamber c, an inlet (Zto it, and a tapering hollow axle e on each side of the oil-chamber cwith an outlet-hole f, the latter being for the purpose of allowing theoil to run out of the axle and any dirt that might get into the axle andhub to be washed out. A draw-bar Bis bolted to the lug b for attachingto the grain-drill and operates above the top of the disks out of theway. Two lugs g g are cast on the rear of the spout A, to whichto securea central scraper G, made to pass down between the disks. 75 7c aresmall lugs cast on the ends of the axles to receive correspondingnotches 0 in the cap E to prevent the latter from turning, as will befurtherexplained hereinafter.

The diskalhe disks 0 O are about twelve inches in diameter and made ofthin springsteel plate from Nos. 17 to 19 gage, straight on the insideand thin enough to spring inward with pressure caused by the shape ofthe axles and the washers D coming against the hub. The cutting edge ofthe said disks come together at the-desired place for about seven inchesin length around the circumference, the center of the cutting edge beingabout forty-five degrees from the center of the axle, as shown from theintersection of the dotted lines w at, Fig. 1, with the disk. Thesedisks 0 C as constructed are placed on the axles e e of the spout A, thelatter being tapered downward to admit the disks coming together at thebottom, and the axles being set a little forward and the screwstightened on the caps on the ends of the axles the requisite pressure isbrought to bear on the disks to make their inner straight face to bendinward until they touch or come together for seven inches to form acutting edge, as hereinbefore described. The said disks 0 O are heldonto the axles e e by means of caps E 'E, provided with an annular rimor flange hto fit over and cover the ends of the axle, as shown at Figs.2, 4, and 5, and a central projection i to enter an enlargement of theopening j in the end of each axle e.

The inner portion of the said opening j is threaded and a correspondingthreaded capscrew F is made to pass through the central hole 70 of eachcap E and screw into the threaded axle, as shown at Fig. 5.

Scrapers. Three scrapers are attached to the drill-shoe as follows: Acentral one, G, is secured by set-screwsl Z to the lugs g g on thegrain-spout A on the rear side. It is tapering in form and made to passdown between the disks and so remove any dirt that may cling to theinside of the disks, cleaning both disks at the same time. There are twoadjustable reversible side scrapers H H, which are affixed to the caps Eby the capscrews F F passing through them and held in a horizontalposition. The ends of the scrapers are bent over to form a smalltermination on, to which is pivotally riveted a toeplate at, which ismade to spring against the outer side of the disks to keep them freefrom soil during the operation of the machine, as

shown by the one on the under side of the disks in Fig. 4, while theupper one in the same figure shows the toe-plate reversed out of the wayof the disks when not required to act on the disk, as in very dryground, &c. Figs. 1 and 4: show the two said scrapers in a horizontalposition, but means are employed to adjust them to other desiredpositions on the side of the disks. For this reason two lugs is k arecast on the ends of the axles (see Fig. 6) and corresponding recesses 0made in the interiorof the caps E, into which the said lugs k k of theaxle ends fit and prevent the caps from turning. At the same time byloosening the cap-screws F the caps and side scrapers H H can be setatany angle different from the horizontal one shown.

It may be observed that I may make the projection ion the insideof theoapround, as shown at Fig. 8, orsquare without recesses, as shown atFig. 10. In. the latter case the mouth of the screw-openin gs j in theaxle are made square to receive the corresponding caps.

p is a pin or projection cast on the outer side of the caps E for thepurpose of allowing the scrapers to rest upon them and prevent them fromturning around with the disk.

q is a projection cast on the lower side of the caps E, having a hole 7*through the same, so as to afford a simple and easy means of attaching achain 2), which will drag behind the disks to cover the seed as it isdeposited from the seed-drill.

To sum up the advantages of my improvements, it will be seen that myconstruction of disks being made straight on the inside, of thin steel,and pressed close together at the cutting portion about seven inchesgives a longer cutting edge,which makes easier draft, closer bottom,dirt less liable to get between the disks or stick so much on theoutside, and capable of working in all conditions of soil. Theoil-chamber beingv between the disks, and its inlet and outlets soarranged that the axles are always uniformly and continuouslylubricated, enable the parts to perform their functions with case, atthe same time any dirt that may enter the journals is washed out at theend of the hubs. The side scrapers being made adjustable and reversiblewhen not required is an important advantage not seen in otherdrill-shoes.

The means employed of oiling the axles is simple, but very efiectual inenabling the machine to operate to the best advantage.

WVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a seed-drill, in combination with a supporting tapering grain-spout provided with tapering axles, of two thin spring-disks formedstraight on their inner surface in their normal position, and sprungclose together in front to form a long cutting edge of at leastseveninches, instead of a point, when pressure is brought to bear on them fortheiropcrating position, substantially as described.

2. In a seed-drill the caps E formed with a central annular projectiont, and recesses 0, to engage with the lugs 75 7t, to prevent the capsfrom turning with the side scrapers, substantially as. specified.

3. In combination with the caps E,JE, of the projection 01 on the lowerpart of each provided with ahole in which to fasten the ends of acovering-chain, and the projection or pin p, on the outer side tosupport the side scrapers respectively, substantially as specified.

at. In a seed-drill the combination of the grain-spout A having theoil-chamber c, andforward tapering axles, spring-disks'C, C, secured tothreaded axles by set-screws F, F recessed caps E, E, projections k, Z5,on the ends of the axles, side scrapers H, H, secured-by the saidcap-screws to the axles of the grain spout, all constructedsubstantially as and for the purpose specified.

Dated at Hamilton, Ontario, this 24th day of March, A. D. 1896. WILLIAMSTEPHENSON.

In presence of- BRUCE, WM. HALLIDAY.

